The colors were insanely bright and very obvious I was wearing lipstick, which wasn't really the look I was going for. The lightest color of the bunch was straight-up pink on my skin tone. Kind of a pasty pink I found to be something I'd never really want to wear. The other colors were fairly flattering, but again, a bit too attention-grabbing for me taste. I actually really dislike the packaging as I am into a more modern and feminine look. This was too much like some kind of weird robot themed box, just weird to me. I find the tubes to not be sleek enough. I returned this product and don't recommend buying it without being able to see the lipsticks in person.

Lipstick Queen is without a doubt my favorite lipstick brand, and I am a fan of the lip liners as well. Poppy King, the brand's creator, is known for combining innovative concepts with vintage flair, so I was really excited to see this new set. Lipstick Queen was a line originally based on a limited (yet gorgeous) selection of lipsticks in one of either two formulas: the "Sinner" line (highly pigmented, matte, opaque) or the "Saint" lipsticks (sheer yet buildable, hydrating, and less pigmented - though in my opinion far more pigmented than any other sheer lipsticks on the market). The Liptropolis formula is designed to cover the middle ground between these two poles, and it does a wonderful job at this. This three lipstick set, which I purchased for $48 US, is also well-priced in comparison to typical Lipstick Queen lipsticks, which cost about $20 each. The set contains three colors that reference New York City, all housed in a beautiful, sturdy little cardboard "book" (Poppy King takes a concept all the way): Soho, which is described as a "fashionable red;" Upper East, an "elegant nude," and Central Park, "the refined peach." Like virtually all of Lipstick Queen's shades, these are designed to flatter most if not all skin tones. As for the formula, it is excellent, and does exactly as promised: it lands squarely between the opaque Sinners and the sheer Saints, and is fairly hydrating, with impressive color pay-off. The packaging (and I am not just referring to the "Liptropolis" book that the set is housed in) is also top notch as well: each dark gray metal lipstick bullet has a slight grip to it (think NARS lipsticks), yet unlike NARS it doesn't manage to pick up all of the lint in the universe while it's stashed away in your handbag. The color selection is pretty wise as well, though I wondered why King chose to include to such similar shades in the set (nude - more on this below - and peach) instead of replacing one of those with a darker shade like something in the berry or wine range.

My only complaint? I think that the official color descriptions are significantly off, and generally lacking in detail. I have worn all three lipsticks, and in the interest of helping others here's what I have found (and for reference, I am NC 35/40 in winter, with pretty pigmented lips):Soho: is a neutral, candy-apple red (in other words, a tad darker than a cherry red like that of Saint Red);Central Park: a neutral, medium peach. I found it flattering, but also noticed that it pulled pretty bright on me after a bit;Upper East: is not *anywhere near* nude...I think that this has got to be an advertising error, in fact. Upper East is definitely a strong medium pink that flirts with fuchsia. I know that color is subjective, but even accounting for that there is no way that this is a nude lipstick. Regardess, it is a very wearable pink and I am happy to have it, as non-fuchsia pinks are difficult for me to find.

Moral of the story: if these colors sound appealing to you and you are interested in trying Lipstick Queen, I would certainly recommend this set. Just don't expect any nude lipstick!